A small carriage stood in front of the Lewis household. The family members, along with a handful of household servants, gathered to bid farewell to the two departing for the capital. Derrick’s face was covered in blue bruises.
“Be careful in the capital,” their mother said, taking Elena’s hand and patting it gently. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
“Derrick, take good care of Elena,” their father added.
“We’ll be living in separate places, but I’ll try to look after her,” Derrick replied coolly.
Count Lewis knew, however, that Derrick would be the first to rush to Elena’s side if she called from the duke’s household. So, he simply smiled and nodded, his heart warmed by the thought.
“Don’t you think Elena will get along better than Derrick?” Jane, the eldest sister, teased.
“Absolutely, our sister Elena will do better than Derrick,” one of the younger twins chimed in.
“No need to worry about Elena,” the other added.
The twins joined in praising Elena, clinging to her affectionately.
“You little ones, listen to our parents carefully,” Elena said. “I’ll come back when I get leave.”
“Yes! Don’t worry! We’ll protect Lewis!” the twins replied, their fists clenched with determination.
Beside them, Derrick’s face wore a wronged expression. Their mother enveloped both Derrick and Elena in a warm embrace, her face filled with worry and regret.
“Take care of yourselves,” she said. “If you feel tired, come back anytime.”
“Yes, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Elena,” Derrick said with confidence.
“Don’t trust people too easily,” their mother continued. “Oh, my, the older I get, the more advice I give. I trust you both.”
“I’ll do my best. I’m an adult now,” Elena replied confidently to her mother’s parting words.
For a moment, the family’s eyes wavered. They all thought of the capital at the same time.
*Perhaps the capital will be alright,* they hoped.
The servants stood nearby, their eyes also glistening with tears, as they bid farewell to the two. After a journey lasting half a month, Elena finally arrived in the capital.
—
“Take care of yourself. If you need help, contact the palace knights,” Derrick said.
“Alright,” Elena replied.
“Don’t cause trouble, and don’t hit people recklessly. You know that, right? Don’t kill someone just because you’re bored. Just let it go. No, don’t do that—you might actually kill someone. Just ignore them. Run away. If you get really angry, call me. I’ll handle it.”
Derrick’s instructions grew longer as his anxiety mounted. As he continued his nagging, Elena’s expression grew increasingly sour.
“Isn’t that enough?” she asked.
“Ugh, it’s because I’m so worried about you. Make sure you stick to maid duties only. Got it?”
Derrick swallowed his concerns about the duke’s household staff and kept dishing out advice, one piece after another. When he saw Elena clench her fist, he finally shut his mouth.
At the main gate of the duke’s household, the guards watched the scene with fondness: a large, burly young man talking to his delicate-looking younger sister. They couldn’t hear the conversation clearly, but the sibling bond seemed especially touching. The older brother was visibly worried about his sister.
“There are still people who maintain such close sibling relationships these days,” the guards thought, watching the scene with warm eyes.
“Go on, I’ll call you,” Elena said, giving Derrick a firm push on his back.
Even as he climbed into the carriage, Derrick kept staring at his sister through the window for a long time.
“That chatterbox!” Elena laughed mockingly as she watched Derrick’s carriage disappear from view. Once it was completely out of sight, she turned and approached the guard at the main gate.
“What is the purpose of your visit, my lady?”
“Hello, Sir Knight. I’m Elena Lewis. I’ve received an acceptance notice to work as a maid in the palace.”
Elena pulled the documents from her bag. The appointment notice bore the seal of the duke’s household, confirming her name and noble lineage.
“Please, come in.”
The guard opened the side door used by the servants and guided Elena into the palace grounds.
“My lady, if you wait a moment, we’ll prepare a carriage for you.”
The guard treated her with utmost respect. Were all the knights in the capital this polite? On second thought, not always. The royal knights who occasionally visited the Lewis fief to inspect communication lines were somewhat rougher.
*Shock!*
As Elena stepped inside, she quickly covered her mouth to stifle a gasp of amazement. Could her family’s home fit ten—no, twenty—of a place like this?
The palace in the distance loomed like a massive mountain in the heart of the fief. The idea that one needed a carriage to travel from the main gate to the palace itself was beyond her imagination.
True, the Lewis fief was vast, but it was surrounded by mountains and fields. Moreover, the count’s home was unbelievably modest for a noble family. In the face of the duke’s palace, her home seemed unworthy even of being compared to the palace stables.
“They must be unimaginably wealthy to own such a grand palace in the crowded capital,” Elena thought.
She recalled that the servants’ salaries here were exceptionally high. Even a trainee’s wage was substantial, and the pay increased with experience.
As she calculated the salaries in her mind, Elena felt a surge of excitement. Life in the duke’s household seemed like it would be far happier than she had imagined.
“Is that a garden?”
On the side of the path the carriage traveled, the shrubs stood impressively tall. Upon reaching the main gate of the palace, a maid greeted her, as if she had been informed of Elena’s arrival in advance. Elena waited in a small reception room where the maid offered her a cup of tea with a pleasant aroma.
“A place that treats its servants well,” Elena noted.
She recalled the friendly faces and impeccable professionalism of the servants she had seen as she passed through. There wasn’t a single shadow or grim expression on their faces.
“Lady Elena Lewis?”
A man with streaks of gray beginning to show in his hair entered the reception room. He wore a fitted black suit made of high-quality fabric that gleamed subtly.
“Even the servants here wear expensive clothes,” Elena thought, inwardly impressed while maintaining her calm expression.
She gently set down her teacup and stood. Beginnings were the most important in anything. Even in martial arts, holding the sword correctly was paramount.
“Hello. I am Hanson, the head butler of the Beckman ducal household.”
“Hello. I’m Elena Lewis.”
Elena extended her hand to shake Hanson’s.
“Have you read the employment contract attached to the acceptance notice?”
“Yes.”
Hanson gestured for her to sit and took a seat himself. He gave her a brief overview of the job.
“Typically, noble ladies come to the duke’s household to refine their etiquette and build connections with the royal family. In our household, you must undergo a training period before you can serve the royal family directly. You may have to perform strenuous tasks you’re not accustomed to. Will you be alright with that?”
Hanson seemed concerned that a lady who had never worked before might not endure the demanding tasks. In truth, many applicants for servant positions gave up due to their inability to keep up with the duke’s rigorous schedule. He was trying to gauge whether this calm young lady could adapt to life in the duke’s household.
“Of course. I’ll do my best,” Elena replied.
Just cleaning and handling simple tasks, right? She swallowed her words and offered a gentle smile.
“At first, you’ll learn basic etiquette and undergo physical training, in addition to general tasks that specialized maids don’t handle. The fitness training in the duke’s household is quite renowned, isn’t it?” Hanson asked with a kind smile.
“I’ve heard it’s a great opportunity to keep the staff healthy,” Elena responded.
Hanson seemed satisfied with her answer. Everyone said they’d do their best at the start, but he needed to see if this lady would last until the end.
Elena declared to herself that “everything will be fine.” She had calculated that the duke’s household wouldn’t overburden a noble lady with excessively strenuous tasks. Anticipating a comfortable life with moderate work, a smile came naturally to her face.
“Within the duke’s palace, you’ll hold the title of maid and won’t receive treatment as a noble lady. Any deviation from the palace’s rules will not be permitted,” Hanson explained.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind,” Elena replied.
If she stayed quiet and worked steadily, her promotions might be slow, but she could earn more money than in other places while living comfortably. Elena liked how things were aligning with her plan.
Hanson grew slightly uneasy when he saw her smile. Elena seemed like an ordinary lady who had never done hard work. Though she wasn’t petite, her features were delicate. Could she adapt to life in the duke’s palace?
Typically, children of impoverished provincial families came to work in the grand palaces of the capital to earn money. In the case of the duke’s household, there were even more applicants, but most couldn’t endure the rigorous training period or the treatment akin to that of commoners, and they withdrew.
Hanson smiled back at Elena’s calm expression.
“I heard there’s a loan system for the palace’s servants,” Elena said.
“That’s correct. Do you need a loan?”
Without hesitation, Elena brought up the priority issue she needed to resolve. The head butler, Hanson, produced a document detailing the maximum loan amount, interest rates, and repayment terms. Elena examined the paper carefully.
“What’s the maximum amount possible?” she asked.
“As a noble, Miss Lewis, you have the social standing to secure up to 500 gold pieces,” Hanson replied.
“All that?”
Hanson smiled gently at Elena’s surprise. The duke’s household never lost money. Especially with nobles or those with guaranteed social status, they tracked them down until the funds were recovered. If the money couldn’t be repaid, compensation would be required in another form. The head butler hoped this lady wouldn’t write an exorbitant amount and checked the figure she noted on the paper.
“100 gold pieces. Isn’t that a bit small?” he asked.
“This amount is enough. I’ll use most of my salary to repay the loan and send part of it to the Lewis family,” Elena replied.
It was a modest sum compared to the typical expenses of nobles. Though Hanson was surprised, Elena signed the document without any reaction. He informed her he would handle it as she wished and gathered the papers.
“I’ll assign a maid to escort you to Lady Willa, who is in charge of the servants,” Hanson said.
Elena followed the maid through the vast palace until they reached Lady Willa’s room.
